NDLEA storms ‘warehouse’, seizes 10,210 bags of hemp

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has burst a make shift warehouse for storage of cannabis (Indian hemp) harvests in Ondo State. A spokesman of the agency, Mr. Jonah Achema, said yesterday in Abuja that the special operation led to the recovery of 10, 210 bags of cannabis sativa weighing 132.730 tons. According to […]

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has burst a make shift warehouse for storage of cannabis (Indian hemp) harvests in Ondo State.

A spokesman of the agency, Mr. Jonah Achema, said yesterday in Abuja that the special operation led to the recovery of 10, 210 bags of cannabis sativa weighing 132.730 tons.

According to him, the warehouse was located in Uteh, a remote community in Ondo State.

He vowed that the agency would ensure that Cannabis farmers in Ondo State and other parts of the country suffer more losses in this harvest season.

“The warehouse which belongs to a man simply referred to as Peter, was located in a very thick forest where all the cannabis harvests within the forest were stored for distribution to the illicit drug markets. Peter who is currently at large is said to be the chairman of Cannabis Cultivators Association in Uteh, Ondo State.

“The storage facility where the consignments belonging to over 30 farmers were stored was guarded by armed men who took to their heels upon sighting the NDLEA officers and men. The operation, code named ‘Operation Thunder Strike II’, was jointly carried out by the agency’s Special Enforcement Team alongside  it’s Tactical teams from Ondo and Edo states commands,” Achema said.

He said the agency had earlier stormed the forests in October 2018 where it destroyed several hectares of Indian hemp plantations and storage facilities in settlements.

He said the exercise has helped to financially incapacitate the cultivators and made their efforts of planting and harvesting the illegal weed a wasted effort.